Kyle Kuzma starting at power forward for the Milwaukee Bucks wasn't hard to predict after the team's summer shakeup. In the preseason opener, he unsurprisingly earned the nod, given that there was no legitimate competition around him. However, Coach Taylor Jenkins is testing some things out, having Kel'el Ware start in that spot in game two. Amid a recent surge, Ware is making his case to start.
Kuzma's starting chances are dropping
Starting Kuzma felt like the logical option because the Bucks are thin at that spot. Outside of him, the team has two raw rookies in Nate Ament and Bogoljub Markovic, in addition to Pete Nance. While Nate Ament has shown some flashes, he's certainly not ready for the starting leap. Yet, despite Ware never playing power forward before, Jenkins threw him out there, and it worked surprisingly well.
Alongside Myles Turner in the frontcourt, Ware formed a formidable duo on both sides of the court. While Turner camped out on the perimeter, Ware dominated inside on the offensive end. Turner has never been a rebounder, but Ware took pressure off him by dominating in that regard. Defensively, the two used their height, length, and strength to flat-out hound opponents.
Ware's numbers are off the charts in these two games. He leads the Milwaukee Bucks with averages of 16 points and 12 rebounds per contest while shooting 50 percent from the floor. His 24 rebounds are the most of anyone in the preseason, as the next closest player has 18 (and they've played three games to Ware's two). All of that is far more inspiring than Kuzma's 1-point showing in the opener.
Unorthodox lineup could be the way to go
Sure, it's not traditional to have two natural centers start next to each other, but it wouldn't be new to Taylor Jenkins. During his Memphis Grizzlies tenure, he often started Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams, two hulking giants, next to each other. Ware and Turner might not be on that level quite yet, but if they can build off what they've shown thus far, that duo might be their floor.
It will be interesting to see how the Milwaukee Bucks tackle game three of the preseason. Jenkins keeps saying he wants to test out different lineups to see who fits where. Will the next combination feature Kuzma or Ware at the four? Does Jenkins want to get a closer look at Ousmane Dieng? The answer is unclear, but the Bucks' starting power forward position is far from settled.
As it should be. Yet, if he keeps playing like this, it would be hard not to give the nod to Kel'el Ware.
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